by Gill 39 Replies latest jw friends
Many of us here were born into the JW cult and so had no real choice in life until we were much older.
However, those of you who actually chose to join the cult and be a JW, can you explain 'why' you wanted to believe 'the troof' that they claimed to have. Didn't it appear too good to be true?
Why would you want to put those kinds of restraints on your life and your mind?
No one chooses to join a cult. That is the insidious nature of cults; they aren't easy to identify and they masquerade as something good.
Many things people don't learn about the WTS until they are baptized and "caught" in the web of control through the threat of being DF'd or losing family/friends.
A good book to read would be Combatting Cult Mind Control by Steven Hassan because the WTS won't be the first nor the last group you encounter with cult-like characteristics.
Blondie
Thanks blondie. I see what you mean about not fully understanding what they are joining.
I always wondered, as a child growing up in JW land, what made people join even though I admit to having been completely brainwashed into believing all the WTBTS doctrine.
I now wonder though, how people brought up with comparitively free thought are ensnared and what appealed to them about the JWs. Was it just the hope of living forever?
It's a good question, one I have asked myself about my parents. I just dont understand it.
The grass always seems greener on the other side. For those born in the cult, you wished you were out of it. In my case, I joined at 27 and I saw the grass greener inside the cult, because I really believed that the end was close (maybe 5 years down the road) and I joined. But with time, I saw that it could 50 years down the road.....
In so called experiences that I used to hear about ppl out there were looking for answers to questions.....and we all know that as witnesses we knew our way around the scripture and interperated it the way the society said we should....so we could answer:
What happens when you die...boom go to ecclesiaties (spelling?) From dust to dust. If I'm not in heaven where is my reward....Psalms - the meek will inherit the earth.....then off to Revelation (the most figurative book) and we show them 21:4
So pple were impressed perhaps what they heard. Plus on top of that we showed them that we were pretty much the only ones that did the preaching work.....on a continuous basis. We showed brotherly love (note that this is usually only when you are new...beyond that most couldn't really bother about you .... sad but ver true) Then slowly slowly they say "see you'll be persecuted" and you think you are 'cos your family can see very clearly that you are getting sucked in but you're seeing it as persecution. PLUS you don't believe that they are a sect/cult as they write so much about NOT being a sect/cult.
Always seems so innocent and good but that is how the you get ensnared. And something very bold to say but I must ....... "who is the one that declares Lord Lord...did we not do this in or name or that in your name" Who uses Gods' supreme name more than anyone else, who works for their salvation more than anyone else......JWs' ..... "The Lord will say 'get away from me you workers of lawlessness'
I was born a JW and I was gonna die a JW. My daddy was a JW, his daddy was a JW before him, and his daddy was a JW.
I was very naive and gullible. Then, I learned the truth about the truth and got out as fast and abruptively as possible.
well I was born into it.
Supposedly my mother wasn't happy with the Lutherine church. Some of their teachings didn't answer some of her questions regarding the bible, so she was searching. I was but a baby. A neighbor was studying at the time and she showed mom the publication she was being studied with and my mom took the book home, read it in one night, and decided this was 'the truth".
At the time it wasn't a cult but the Truth,i thoughtwhat a way to have to learn.
